STAND. COM. REP. 744

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 1361

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1361, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE MEDICAID PRESCRIPTION DRUG EXPANSION PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Allow the income eligibility limit for the Medicaid Prescription Drug Expansion Program (Program) to be set at any maximum income limit established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for approval of federal funding of the program;

(2) Clarify that pharmacies and not pharmacists be paid by the Program;

(3) Adjust the appropriation made in Act 75, Session Laws of Hawaii 2002 (Act 75) for the Program for fiscal year 2002-2003; and

(4) Set a sunset date for the Program of July 1, 2006.

Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA), HSTA-Retired, Hawaii State AFL-CIO, ILWU Local 142, and AARP Hawaii submitted testimony in support of this bill. The Department of Human Services submitted comments on this bill.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Restoring the original Act 75 appropriation to the Program; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style and clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1361, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1361, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair